Tuck creasing and marking attachment for sewing-machines



' (No Model.)

A. A. CRAWFORD. TUGK ORBASING AND MARKING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 400,751. Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

ALICE ANN CRAWFORD, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

TUCK CREASING AND MARKING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,751, dated April 2, 1889.

Application filed May 2, 1888. $erial No. 272,601. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALICE ANN CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tuck Oreasers and Markers for Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to devicesfor marking tucks, and is designed to be attached to a sewing-machine. A

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and elfective tuck creaser or marker to be operated directly by the needle-bar of a sewing-machine; and it consists, essentially, of a creaser and an arm attached to the needle-bar and carrying an indent-piece, which strikes the creaser to mark or crimp the tuck. The creaser is formed upon a slide adjustable upon a graduated plate or bar attached to the plate of the sewing-machine. The graduated plate or bar is provided with a gage for guiding the edge of the material and indicating the width of the tuck. The arm which carries the indent-piece is attached to the needle-bar immediately above the needle, and may be either a simple straight arm or a straight arm extended and bent upward into a brace, which is attached to the needle-bar at a higher point, the former being used for narrow tucks and the latter for wider tucks, for the reason that the brace will serve to hold the long arm in a true horizontal position. The arm in both cases extends out at right angles to the needle-bar and is substantially parallelto the work-plate. The indent-piece is formed upon a slide which is adjustable upon the arm, and, in addition to the groove for forming the crease in the goods over the creaser, it may be provided with a holder for chalk or other marking material to make a visible mark upon the goods in case the crease is not clearly defined or the goods is such as not to reliably retain the crease.

The following detailed description will more clearly indicate the nature and extent of my invention. I

The accompanying drawings illustrate what I consider the best manner for carrying my invention into practice.

Figure 1 is a perspective view'of the attachment applied to a sewing-machine. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the creasing detent and blade; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section through the detent-carrying slide, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of a modified form of the slide-carrying arm 0.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views where they occur.

A is a plate or bar, preferably having graduations upon it, which is secured to the plate or table of a sewing-machine. At the end remote from the needle it is provided with a gage, a, which is adjustable thereon and serves to define the width of the tuck and guide the edge of the material. V

On the plate A is provided a slide, B, which is adjustable, and may be fixed at any point thereon by means of the pinching-screw b, which clamps the sides of the slide upon the plate A; or the setting may be done in any other convenient manner. This slide carries a vertically projecting edgeor blade, B, which serves, in conjunction wit-h a grooved indent-piece, to make the'c'rease in the goods, and which I have therefore denominated a creaser. The parts thus far described and lettered are attached to the sewing-plate and remain fixed during the operation of tucking.

C is an arm which is fastened to the needle-bar just above the needle by means of flanges or clamps C, of suitable shape, and extends out at right angles thereto to lie substantially parallel to the machine plate or table. The arm 0 carries a slide, D, adj ustable thereon by means of pinching or set screw, or in any other suitable or convenient manner. This slide is provided with the indentrpiece D, which is formed with a groove, (1, on its under face. As the needle-bar reciprocates, the arm D, with its attached parts, is also reciprocated, and at the lowest point strikes upon the goods over the creaser B, and forms a crease therein, thus giving a line on which to fold the tuck; and in case the goods are of such a character as not to reliably retain the crease I add a marking attachment to the reciprocating indent-piece to make a ICO visible mark upon the goods. This consists of a holder or cylinder in which is placed a piece of chalk, graphite, or other material to produce the mark upon the goods as the marker comes in contact therewith. This holder or cylinder is shown at D For narrow tucks the arm 0 will preferably be a simple straight arm with a flange or clamp upon it for attachment to the needlebar; but in making wide tucks it is evident that such an arm, unless made exceedingly heavy and stiff, will be bent by successive impact of the creasing devices, so that it will with a little use be made inoperative as a creaser. Toprovide, therefore, for making wide tucks, I show in Fig. 1 an arm which has a brace to prevent it from being bent by long or hard usage. This consists, preferably, in simply extending the arm to sufiicient length and then bending it back upon itself to form a V shape. The end of both members of the V will be provided with flanges or clamps for attachment to the needle-bar, and the brace portion, which I have marked C will be also attached to the needle-bar, but at a higher point than the arm C. This arrangement gives a reliable support for the indent-slide and insures regularity of stroke upon the creaser.

The slide D is preferably made in the form of a clamp, both jaws of which will be reached by the screw, so that when the screw is removed the jaws will be open for the reception of the bar or arm 0 and the slide can be shifted from one to the other.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a tuck creaser and marker, the combination, with a creasing-blade arranged on the bed-plate of a sewing-machine, and the needle bar and supporting arm attached thereto, of a block adjust-ably secured upon said arm and provided with a groove to receive the creasing-blade and with a chalk or crayon holder substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with an arm attached to the needle-bar of a sewing-machine, of a block provided with a holder for a marker and with spring-jaws clasping said arm, the said jaws being provided with a pinchingscrew, wherebythe block may be adjust-ably secured upon said arm, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a tuokline-indieating device, of a support therefor, consist ing of the V-shaped rod having means at its free ends for connecting it to the needle-bar of a sewing-machine, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALICE ANN CRAWFORD.

\Vitnesses:

J'. K. REcToR, F. W. \IooRn. 

